How will California voter turnout be on Super Tuesday?

OAKLAND, Calif. - As California voters join the Super Tuesday primaries this year, election officials are watching to see how turnout compares to previous presidential primary years.

Polling stations and voting centers are scheduled to be open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and mail-in ballots can be dropped off at polling places, official drop-box locations, or postmarked by 8 p.m., when polling stations close, and mailed through the United States Postal Service.

San Francisco Director of Elections John Arntz says that on Monday morning, turnout was 17%. 

While that number is low compared to a regular election, Arntz said it isn't too far off from the 2020 presidential primary year.

"Right now, we have 84,000 ballots back and compared to the March 2020 election the previous presidential primary election, we had 85,000 ballots back so we are tracking really well," Arntz said.

A steady stream of voters came to the corner collection box outside San Francisco City Hall on Monday to drop their ballots off.

"I do like voting early. That way, I can do research at home and take my time at home," Kathy Yu, a San Francisco voter, said.

"The voter guide, the ballot, the drop off locations, everything. It was a lot easier here than in North Carolina, Connecticut or Arizona where I lived before," Dave Davidson, a San Francisco voter said after he dropped his ballot off.

This year, though, with presumptive candidates in the Democratic and Republican Parties' presidential primaries, some people worry there might be less incentive for people to get out and vote.

"I knocked on doors today to say have you voted? Wanted to make sure my neighbors go and vote," Michael Petrelis, a San Francisco voter, said.In Oakland, outside the Alameda County elections office, workers greeted voters at a drive-through drop-off. 

"We have drop boxes, they can put it in the mail, they can drop it off at one of these drop stops. "We've been open at our voting centers since last Saturday," Tim Dupuis, Registrar of Voters for Alameda County, said. "This one is very low right now, we're sitting at 12% turnout as of this morning." 

Dupuis said Monday, adding that many people will need to vote Tuesday in order to match the 2020 primary, "The last presidential primary we saw a turnout of 50 percent."

Officials are prepared for an election day rush. 

"We have same day registration, you can go in, we can get you registered and get you to vote," Dupuis said.

Some voters say even without big presidential candidates driving the primary, they wanted to weigh in on state and local issues.

"Measure B would be the big thing for me," said Joseph Brenner, an Oakland voter."The two biggest issues for me were housing and crime so those are why I wanted to make sure I voted in this primary," said David Davidson of Oakland.

In San Francisco, Arntz says the overall primary turnout in the last 2020 presidential primary  was 61%.

He says it's unlikely this will be a record low year, as that was about 31% in June 2012.